Spooky Sixteen
by honeyjadecladdagh
Summary: Velma thinks everyone has forgotten her sixteenth birthday, until she gets the fright of her life.
1. Chapter 1

Velma woke up on the morning of October 31st to the feeling of the crisp autumn air prickling her skin and warm sunlight shining on her face through a crack in the curtains. The mouth-watering smell of eggs and bacon frying wafted into her room through the floor boards and under her bedroom door as she sat up and stretched, feeling rejuvenated and full of joy. Today was her sixteenth birthday.

She brushed her hair and teeth, then put on her usual outfit consisting of an orange jumper and orange socks, a red skirt and red shoes. She then went downstairs into the kitchen where her mother greeted her. Her father was nowhere in sight; he had already left for work.

"Morning, dear!"

"Morning, Mum" Velma said with a big smile as she sat down at the table.

"You're looking cheerful this morning" her mother commented, placing a steaming plate of eggs and bacon in front of her.

"Of course. It's a special day" she answered, a little confused. Surely she must have remembered.

"Oh, that's right!" Mrs Dinkley exclaimed. "It's Halloween!"

The girl's heart sank. Had her mother seriously forgotten her birthday? Forcing a smile, Velma nodded. "Yes, that's right. Halloween." She hoped she didn't sound too disappointed.

"So, have you and your friends got anything special planned for tonight?"

"We thinking of going to Perdition Pines" Velma answered, swallowing a mouthful of bacon.

Perdition Pines was a small woodland area on the outskirts of the town that was shrouded in decades of mystery. It was said to be the home of the restless souls of folk who had died there over the years, hence the name. Velma and her friends, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby had always enjoyed a trip to Perdition Pines. Their most favourite part was the old log cabin in the very heart of the forest where they would sit eating Scooby Snacks and telling scary stories.

At the mention of Perdition Pines, Mrs Dinkley grew pale. "Isn't that place haunted?"

Velma laughed despite herself. "Mum, you know I don't believe in ghosts."

Mrs Dinkley nodded. "I know, but it doesn't seem wise to take the risk. Especially on Halloween."

Velma ignored her and finished off her breakfast. She had barely swallowed the last mouthful when a car horn sounded outside. "That's my ride!" Velma announced. Grabbing her bag, she kissed her mother goodbye and left the house. Outside, the rest of the gang were waiting for her in the Mystery Machine. Velma felt a smile cross her face. _At least they'll have remembered,_ she thought. Unfortunately, she was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Hi, Velma" everyone chorused as she climbed into the van.

"Hi, guys" Velma returned. "You know what today is, right?"

"Yup. It's Halloween!" Shaggy cried excitedly from the backseat.

"Reah! Ralloween!" Scooby repeated.

"Like, I can't wait to go Trick or Treating! Scoob and I have got our costumes ready, haven't we, Scoob?"

Fred chuckled. "Shaggy, we're not going Trick or Treating tonight. We're going to Perdition Pines, remember?"

Shaggy's face fell. "Aw, man! Do we have to go tonight? We've been working on our costumes for days!"

"Well, we've been planning this visit for _weeks"_ Daphne said, twisting in her seat to face the boy and his canine pal. "It's your fault if you weren't paying attention, so we're going to Perdition Pines whether you like it or not."

Shaggy pouted out his lower lip. "Fine" he muttered, slumping in his seat and folding his arms.

Velma couldn't believe it. Even her friends had forgotten it was her birthday! _Some friends,_ she thought bitterly as they pulled out of the driveway and headed off to school. Then an idea struck her. Maybe they were just pretending to forget and it was all part of some big surprise they had planned for later.

Yes, that must be it.


	2. Chapter 2

The front door slammed as Velma marched into the house. It had been a bad day. Nobody had wished her a happy birthday. She hadn't even received a lousy card! Added to that, some moron who had forgotten their homework thought it would be a good idea to take Velma's and pass it off as their own. Now Velma had a detention to look forward to tomorrow. Yippee.

"I'm home!" Velma called. No answer. Confused, she walked into the kitchen where she expected to see her mother preparing dinner and her father sitting at the table reading the newspaper, as they usually were when she got home. They were nowhere in sight. On the table was a note addressed to her. She picked it up.

 ** _Velma,_** it read, **_have gone to the store to buy groceries. See you when we get home._**

Great. Now she got to spend the rest of the afternoon alone with only an empty house for company. What a way to celebrate your sweet sixteen (although, it was starting to feel more like sour sixteen). Suddenly, her phone buzzed. There was a text message from Daphne. **_Perdition Pines 6. Meeting in the cabin._**

Perdition Pines! Velma had forgotten all about it. "Well, since they forgot my birthday, I guess that makes us even" she muttered to herself. Quickly, she tapped out the response **_I'll be there_** and hit send.

An hour and a half later, at five-thirty, Velma's parents had not yet returned from shopping, so after leaving them a note in case they got home before she did and set off for the forest. She shivered in the bitter wind as she struggled to zip up her coat. A strong breeze howled in her ears and down the deserted streets, creaking the branches of the trees lining the paths and rustling the fallen leaves. Every house was adorned with Halloween decorations. People had set up fake gravestones on their front lawns and strewn cobwebs over their windows. Velma even noticed a few houses with statues of Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters and Chucky from Child's Play. One person had even set up a fake human butcher shop scene.

Velma shuddered at the last of these and hurried on, not wanting to be late for her rendezvous with the gang. As she continued walking, her mind wandered back to all the times they had spent at Perdition Pines. Sometimes, when Shaggy had been too much of a sissy to set foot in the old log cabin, they had built a bonfire outside and sat around it, singing songs. Whenever they visited that forest, one thing was always guaranteed: ghost stories.

They were always stories about the history of Perdition Pines. There were so many of them, it was hard to keep track. The ones she could remember were the following:

The drowned girl - The story of a girl named Emma Brown who wandered into the forest one day, despite the warnings of her parents, and never returned. Years later, her body was found at the bottom of the river. Her spirit was said to haunt that very river, standing on the bank, staring down the people who pass it by, as if watching to make sure they don't meet the same end as her.

The hanged man - The story of a killer named Arthur Shackley who was hiding out in the woods. He began to hear voices taunting him, saying that he would rot in hell for his crimes. He eventually committed suicide and it was said his body could still be seen hanging from the tree where he hung himself.

The killer clown - Sometime in the seventies, a clown known only as Crazy lured several children into the forest where he murdered them in gruesome ways. These killings by Crazy continued until the early 1980's when he suddenly seemed to vanish. To this day, nobody knew what happened to him but his ghost was said to haunt the forest, looking for more victims.

The cabin murder - This final story was the one that scared Velma the most. According to legend, the old log cabin in Perdition Pines had once been the home of a man named Martin Walsh who lived with his wife and two children. Martin was a World War Two veteran who had apparently seen too much. One day, in a blind fit of insanity, he took his pistol and shot his entire family dead before turning the gun on himself.

Of course, Velma didn't believe a word of those stories. They were just a bunch of urban legends invented to discourage people from entering the forest and they weren't doing a very good job. However, one thing was for certain: they were downright creepy.

Trying to distract herself with less spooky thoughts, she focused on the path before her, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other until, at last, she reached Perdition Pines.


	3. Chapter 3

The entrance to the forest was marked by a painted sign saying **_Welcome to Perdition Pines. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!_**

Velma rolled her eyes. Like that was going to stop people!

Wishing she'd had the presence of mind to bring a torch, Velma set off down the narrow dirt path towards the cabin. In daylight, the forest was like a jungle paradise, populated by a great many majestic trees that reached proudly towards the sky, shading the ground which was a carpet of leaves of rich autumn colours: deep red, brown, amber and gold. But now, at night, all signs of its beauty and serenity was lost to the darkness and the towering trees with their long overhanging branches bordering the path gave the eerie impression of a dark, endless tunnel.

Eventually, the sound of splashing water filled her ears and Velma knew she was getting close to the river. Normally, she would have walked straight past it without a care but now there was something there that made her stop dead in her tracks. A girl was standing on the bank of the river, her back pressed against a tree so that she was turned towards Velma. Her skin was as white as paper and her long, dark hair hung down over her face, completely covering it. She was also wearing a plain blue dress that looked like something out of Alice in Wonderland. Velma stood and stared at the girl for what felt like an hour before she walked on, now slightly faster than before. The sight of the girl unnerved Velma and the story of Emma Brown came back to her. Could it be? No, it couldn't. It was just someone's idea of a joke. Ghosts weren't real.

A little while later, when Velma had been walking for a while and had already forgotten about the girl by the river, she decided to stop for a minute and rest her legs. She found a large, old oak tree and was about to park herself by the trunk when something caught her eye. She squinted to get a better look. Was it her imagination or was there a man hanging by his neck from one of the branches? "Arthur Shackley" she whispered to herself in a quivering voice. Could this really be his ghost? She shook her head. No, of course it wasn't. There was no way. It was just a prop put there as a hoax. She walked on.

By now, Velma was becoming a little freaked out. She had always known there was no such thing as ghosts. She and the gang had proven it enough times already. But now, she was starting to doubt herself. What if these weren't just simple pranks? What if they were...something more?

"Come on, Velma, you're being ridiculous!" She said angrily. "You're being paranoid! It's just the darkness messing with your brain." She wished she felt as confident as she sounded.

After taking a quick breather, she set off once again. She had barely walked several metres when she froze. On the right hand side of the path, just a few inches from where she was, a clown in a bright red and yellow suit, with matted orange hair, holding a knife, stood beneath a tree, watching her intently. Velma gulped. Clowns had always terrified her and this one certainly was.

"Please don't move" she silently prayed. As if the clown had read her thoughts, he slowly started approaching her, a murderous look in his wide eyes as he held his knife aloft. "Oh, God!" Velma whispered. She walked faster and as she did, the clown also increased his speed. Velma's fast walk quickly broke into a light jog which then became a full-on sprint. Now more terrified than ever, Velma ran as fast as she could, trying to put as much distance between herself and the clown as possible. All the while, the footsteps of the clown thumping the ground behind her echoed in her ears, accompanied by the sickening sound of its demonic laughter.

To Velma's great relief, the cabin soon came into view. By now, a stitch was burning in her chest and her feet stung like crazy, begging for a chance to rest, but still she kept going. Upon reaching the front door, she flung it open, ran inside and slammed the door shut behind her. She pressed her ear to the wood, listening intently for the clown's footsteps approaching the cabin but there was no sound. Once she was certain the coast was clear, she heaved a sigh of relief and leaned her head against the door.

It took a while for Velma to notice the heavy silence within the cabin. Didn't Daphne say they were meeting in this very location? So, if the rest of the gang were here, why hadn't any of them announced themselves by now? A deep suspicion in the back of her mind told her that something was very wrong. Cautiously, she turned around to face the interior of the cabin and let out an ear-shattering scream.

The room she stood in was dimly lit by a few candles which provided just enough light for Velma to clearly see the ghastly scene before her. Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby all lay on the floor, motionless and covered in deep wounds, their crimson blood staining the ground beneath them. On the wall facing Velma, written in blood, were the words **_YOU'RE NEXT, VELMA DINKLEY._**

Before Velma had time to act, the door swung open and someone - or something - hastily through a sack over the head. Overcome with fear, Velma fainted and had no knowledge of the events that followed.


	4. Chapter 4

When Velma opened her eyes, she immediately noticed her head was resting on something soft. For a moment, she thought that everything that had happened was just part of a nightmare and now she had woken up, safe and sound at home. However, when she saw the tree branches covering the sky above her, her heart sank.

Slowly sitting up, she discovered that she had somehow ended up outside the cabin, which she was now facing, and had been lying on the forest floor for god-knows-how-long with a rolled up jacket as a pillow. The situation became very odd when Velma noticed a large blanket spread out on the ground before her, set with a picnic consisting of all her favourite foods. There were also a number of lanterns set up around the blanket to aid her vision. "Curiouser and curiouser" she muttered to herself. She considered doing a little investigation to try and make sense of all this but she was so weirded out, she was afraid to move.

Suddenly, to her great surprise, her parents, Fred and Daphne came pouring out of the cabin. Mrs Dinkley was holding a large cake and everyone was singing.

 _"Happy birthday to you._

 _Happy birthday to you._

 _Happy birthday, dear Velma._

 _Happy birthday to you."_

When the song was finished, everyone cried "Happy birthday, Velma!"

The poor girl was so overwhelmed, she thought she might start crying. "You remembered!"

"Of course we did, kiddo!" Mr Dinkley chuckled.

"But...I...I thought you'd all...forgotten."

"Oh, Velma, dear, we're so sorry" Mrs Dinkley said. She looked truly remorseful. "We had to pretend we had forgotten so that you wouldn't suspect anything."

"So...this picnic, all that scary business in the forest, that was all part of my birthday surprise?"

"It was all Fred's idea" said Daphne. "He suggested it last month. He thought it would be a good idea to throw a little Halloween horror-themed party in Perdition Pines just for you. We all helped organised it."

"But that's enough explanation for now. I've worked hard to prepare this cake and I won't let it go to waste. Here you are, Velma. Make a wish" said Mrs Dinkley, placing the cake on the ground in front of Velma as the others took their seats around the blanket.

It was a large, but simple, cake. It was rectangular and covered in orange icing, decorated with elegant little red and yellow roses. Written on the cake in black icing was **_HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN, VELMA._** A single candle was planted in the centre. Velma shut her eyes tight and, after making a wish, blew her candle out to the cheers of her parents and friends. She gazed around at everyone with a huge smile on her face and a tear in her eye. "You guys are the sweetest people who ever lived. Thank you all so much."

As Mrs Dinkley divided and shared out the cake, Fred and Daphne explained everything. Fred's idea had been inspired by the stories of Emma Brown, Arthur Shackley, Crazy the clown and Martin Walsh. He had decided it would be a good idea to turn those stories into a reality. Daphne played Emma Brown and Mr Dinkley became Crazy the clown. The hanged Arthur Shackley was really a fake body they had created, as were all the dead corpses Velma found in the cabin and the "blood" was really just red grape juice. Velma had to admit, she was impressed. "You guys certainly put a lot of planning into this. But what about Shaggy and Scooby? Did they help?"

Fred nodded. "They helped to make the fake bodies and prepare the food. But, when we were about to put our plan into action, Shaggy called at the last minute to say that Scooby was sick and he was staying at home to take care of him."

 _How convenient,_ Velma thought. "Oh well, it's probably just as well that they aren't here. They'd probably eat all of the food."

"Speaking of food," said Mr Dinkley, "let's dig in."

They were about to do just that when a strange noise from somewhere beyond stopped them. It sounded like a soft thudding accompanied by a low growl. Everyone looked around curiously, wondering where on earth it could be coming from. A terrified gasp from Daphne diverted their attention to her. Following her line of vision, the creature responsible for the noise was finally revealed. It was a creature unlike any they had ever seen before. The creature was at least seven feet tall and had a hunched back. It walked on all fours with its front legs notably much longer than its hinds. The creature was thin and horribly deformed and the skin looked like tattered, grey fabric while it face was white and expressionless. Everyone was silent for a moment, then Velma laughed. "Oh, very funny, you guys. Is this your grand finale, or something?"

Her companions all gazed at her nervously. "Velma," Fred said slowly, "that creature wasn't part of the plan."

The amused look disappeared from Velma's face. "But, if that wasn't your idea, then...who is that?"

Nobody could come up with an answer. They were too focused on the abomination slowly drawing closer to them. When they were merely ten feet apart, the creature leaned towards them and let out a deafening roar. That did it for them. Screaming in unimaginable fear, they jumped to their feet and ran for their lives, never looking back. As soon as they were out of sight, the monster began to laugh. Not an evil laugh; a laugh of genuine amusement. The monster then removed its face and skin, showing Shaggy and Scooby underneath, because that was who the monster really was. Shaggy and Scooby in their Halloween costume. Once the costume had been disposed of, the boy and the dog fell to the floor, laughing hysterically and exchanging high-fives.

"Like, that was the best Halloween prank ever!" Shaggy chortled.

"Reah, best prank ever" Scooby agreed.

"And look, they've left their food behind." True to his word, the picnic remained where it was, completely untouched and just waiting to be eaten. "Like, it seems a shame to just leave it lying around, doesn't it?"

Scooby nodded. "Reah, real shame."

Shaggy and Scooby exchanged glances. They were clearly thinking the same thing. In less than a second, they were on their knees, grabbing food and shovelling it into their mouths greedily. They were so busy eating, they didn't notice five figures emerging from the cabin.

"Ahem."

Shaggy and Scooby's blood turned to ice at the sound of a throat clearing. They turned around to see Fred, Daphne, Velma and her parents standing behind them, arms folded and eyes narrowed accusingly. Fred was the first of them to break the silence. "Shaggy, Scooby, interesting to see you guys here."

"Yes, very interesting" Daphne agreed. "Especially since you, Scooby, are supposed to be sick and you, Shaggy, are supposed to be looking after him."

"I don't suppose you guys would care to explain yourselves?" Velma asked.

One of the perks of Shaggy and Scooby being a pair of cowards was that it was never difficult to get them to cough up information and it certainly didn't take long for them to confess about their Halloween prank. The whole thing had been decided a few weeks ago while they were still preparing their costume. They planned to use the costume to frighten the others away so that they could steal all the food. They had pretended Scooby was sick so that the others wouldn't suspect them.

"And, like, we would've gotten away with it," said Shaggy, "if it weren't for you meddling kids."

The end


End file.
